Meet the George County quarterback who dominated flag football’s opening week on MS Coast
Step aside, Deuce Knight. George County has a new star quarterback.
Lani McDoniel scored three touchdowns Thursday, all in the first half, to lead the Rebels over Richland, 37-0, in the most lopsided match of Mississippi’s first official flag football games.
McDoniel showcased her versatility, throwing two touchdown passes on offense and returning an interception for a score on defense.
“(McDoniel) wanted to come out here and really just excel,” George County coach Lane Scott said. “She’s been focused and working every day on both sides of the ball. I knew she was a great athlete, but I wanted to put her at quarterback. She really took a big step in her passing game today.”
The Rebels opened up a 25-0 lead by halftime and forced the sport’s mercy rule at the two-minute warning. The Rebels’ defense scored twice and set their offense up on the plus side of the field for every single possession.
The deluge of scoring didn’t relent when the second team took the field, either. Backup quarterback Cailynn Whisenhant placed a perfect pass on a go route into the hands of Lauren Stringfellow for a 50-yard touchdown.
“I knew we had been working hard and it was just really exciting to be able to make those plays,” McDoniel said.
George County received a boost from Delanie McNair, who used her speed to stretch the field horizontally. She outran the entire Richland defense during a second-half 25-yard touchdown run.
McNair is the younger sister of wide receiver DJ McNair, who had over 800 receiving yards for George County’s tackle team last season. She credits him for having her ready for Week 1.
“He had me running at night up and down the road,” McNair said of her brother. “He actually showed me how to play football.”
St. Martin 28, Meridian 0
The Yellow Jackets swarmed defensively thanks to the play of rusher LaLonnie Duncan. The designated blitzer recorded double-digit sacks, according to head coach Charlie Pavlus, and got in on the scoring herself when she picked up a sack in the end zone for a first-half safety.
Quarterback Jalyn Nguyen was responsible for four touchdowns with three coming through the air to three different targets.
“I think our girls did a good job putting in those hours of practice and getting practice over the holidays,” Pavlus said. “I do think those three days we practiced over Mardi Gras break where most people were on vacation pushed us to where we are now.”
Brooke Perkins caught the first touchdown of the game and was followed by a 10-yard score from Leighla Brown. Brianne Sanders was on the receiving end of a 15-yard touchdown and Nguyen would show off the wheels on a 20-yard touchdown run.
St. Martin played a half against both Vancleave and East Central during last week’s jamboree, pitching shutouts in both contests to put its defense at four straight halves of without a score allowed.
Picayune 0, Perry Central 0 (4OT)
Not a typo, the Maroon Tide opened the season with a 0-0 win during the state’s first overtime contest.
The first two overtimes featured alternating possessions from the 20-yard line before each team attempted one-point conversions from the three-yard line for the third overtime. With the score still deadlocked at zero, the ball was placed at midfield and each team was given one play with total yardage being the winning factor.
“It was exciting,” Head coach Ed Williams said. “I coach soccer, too, and in soccer you never know when a goal is going in. A lot of times it’s one or two scores, so this was a lot like a soccer game. We were just waiting for somebody to score.”
Picayune had numerous chances to do just that. A breakaway run by Ja’Niyah Ducre was nearly a go-ahead touchdown with four minutes left but Ducre mistook the field lines on the 80-yard field and dropped the ball 10-yards short of the goal line. The Tide would go four-and-out from there.
An interception set up Picayune inside the 10-yard line, but Picayune immediately turned the ball over with its own interception on the next play.
The Tide had one more shot in regulation, but they turned the ball over on downs at the 10-yard line with 10 seconds left.
“We had so many mistakes,” Williams said. “We had a lot of penalties. We had a touchdown, but we dropped the ball at the nine-yard line. I think if we clean that up, we’ll be fine. But I think it was an extremely exciting game.”
Quarterback A’miya Graves scampered for a short gain on the midfield try to stake Picayune’s no-score win after Perry Central’s quarterback was sacked on its attempt.
East Central 8, Vancleave 0
As in tackle, so in flag. It was a defensive war between the two rivals where the only touchdown wasn’t scored until late in the second half.
East Central’s Olivia Tanner stretched a 2-0 lead to 8-0 with a 20-yard touchdown pass and Ava Brewer sealed the win with an interception on the ensuing drive.
The Hornets had three different trips inside the red zone turned back via interception. Vancleave’s Jordyn Raynor nearly ran one back for a go-ahead score in the second half, but the Bulldog offense turned the ball over on downs despite the strong field position.
“I think there’s so much room for us to grow,” Raynor said. “We have a lot of talent... We can only grow from here.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 7:29 AM.
